The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-04-14
SENATOR'S MAILS.
HOW THE soLONs RECEIVE AND
ANSWER LETTERS.

HOW THE sOLONs RECEIVE AND
ANSWER LETTERS.
Personal Peculiarities Of the Various Sem
ators ~ Correspondents-Their Attitude
in Epistalory Labor and the style of
Their Observation-Disclosures Anecdotes.
WASHINGTON, April lin the Senate
postoffice, which occupies little corner
in the large vestibule at the entrance to
the first floor Of the Senate wing, every
senator has large box for his mail. One
who would look into one of these boxes
every day will see pile of letters and
newspapers that would astonish him.
A senator of the United States re-
ceives, perhaps, next to the President,
the largest personal mail of any person
in Washington. They get letters of all
sorts and kinds-letters from constituents
asking them to run around and find out
the most trivial matter. One of them
once received letter from man in his
State asking him to sell load of hay for
him; again, people write to them and ask
them to get them appointments, or find
what vacancies exist in certain depart
ments. Some letters contain all sorts of
questions to be answered in regard to
legislation, bills pending before the
House, bills likely to come up, or bills
they wish to introduce. Other letters
contain clippings from newspapers re-
lating to the doings in and out of Con-
gress by senator, and asking that per-
son to reply if this and that is true. A
large majority of the letters, however,
are begging ones. Men and women
who have nothing else to do write to
senators asking them for aid. One SEN
ator not long since received letter from
stranded actor asking for an overcoat
and hat. The millionaire senators get
letters, the majority asking for money.
The private secretary of certain SEN
ator once said to me that there was a
class of men who made it their living to
write letters to senators asking for a
contribution to charity, or for money
for himself and family. He said this
plan was followed by number of travel
ing men. These men would go to a
certain town and to hotel, get large
amount of writing paper, and spend the
day in the hotel writing-room writing
letters to every senator, and, indeed,
prominent men were included also, ask
ing them for a small contribution-any-
thing from dollar up. They would tell
pitiful story of want and privation,
and ask for an immediate reply. They
would wait in this town for week, and
by that time they would get quite num-
Der of answers-for senator's are chari-
table to certain extent. Generally the
men made enough from the answers to
pay their board-bill for that week and
leave enough to buy postage-stamps, and
pay fare to the next town. There again
they would start over the same list OF
names, using different style of hand
writing and tell different story.
The private secretary said he had kept
complete file of these letters, and by
comparing them could prove they were
all written by the same man and that he
had made comfortable living out of it
OF course the senator is now up to these
tricks, and the men will have to give ur
the trade or starve.
A great many senators never see theil
letters, for they are answered by theil
secretaries; but there are others who take
great delight in reading their mail and
answering the letters personally.
1t is quite a curious sight to sit in the
press gallery during the sessions of the
Senate and watch how the different sena
tors write. They are generally quite
busy in the morning using their pens
and one can study the different styles ot
writing by watching them.
Senator VOORHEES,, of Indiana writes like
an actor on the stage. He places the
paper before him carelessly; grabs pen
and by quick movement will run Il
across the paper just like you have seer
an actor on the stage write most import
ant letter. Senator Pugh, of Alabama
is quite the reverse; he writes slowly anG
in jerks. He writes three or four words
then lifts his hand, looks at it and writes
three or four more. Wade Hampton, o.
South Carolina, leans far over his desk
He writes slowly, and in one hand holds
the end of his paper, while the pen II
moved along by the other. Senator Eus
tbs, of Louisiana, holds his pen perpen
dicularly. He puts his hands close to
gether and writes in rather a crampet
style. Old Joe Brown, of Georgia, takes
great pains to seat himself comfortably
squares himself at his desk, spreads one
hand over his book or paper, takes up {
pen deliberately, and writes rapidly
Mitchell, of Oregon, who is one of the mos
continuous writers in the Senate-ant
you can see him almost any time in tn,
day scratching away-is very precise. HI
sits quietly at his desk, has sheet of pa
per before him, laid carefully and just so
holds his pen naturally and writes will
slow, undulating movement Senator
Fair, of Nevada, who, by the way, look
like a typical miner, minus the red shir
and bowie knives, writes fast. He hold
one hand daintily up above the paper al
| if to mark time with the words that fal
from the pen. Senator Teller, of Colo
RADIO, holds pen between the second anC
third fingers with decided slant
He grasps the paper first by botl
hands and then let's go with on,
to take the pen, and writes rapidly. Sen
ator Walthall, of Mississippi, like Pugh
writes leisurely and in jerky fashion, tn,
pen moving slowly up and down. Sena
tor Gray, of Delaware, who is the hand
soonest man in the Senate, writes moder
| ata1v fast His nau navar 1aavas th.